Advice From A Stranger
by TheSpazChik
Summary: After almost getting killed by Areman, Joxer runs away from the camp to think, and comes across a traveler who does her best to help him learn to heal after killing for the first time. Not a JoxerXOC story.


**What if Joxer ran away from the camp that night after Xena convinced Areman to let him live? And if you have trouble prenouncing Tieg's name its pronounced T as in t-shirt, E as in knee, and G as in tiger. If that makes any sense lol.**

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Traveling in the night was foolish, I admit. However, I had to reach home in time. I heard the Warlord Kryton had been killed and his men were near, I had to get home to protect my little brother, Garess.

Father couldn't protect the two of them alone. I had to help somehow and my beloved would soon arrive to help as well.

My thoughts told me to keep going, but exhaustion was hindering my determination to get home.

Come on Tieg! I told myself, keep going!

For three days I'v traveled and I had ran out of both food an water earlier this morning and would kill to find at least a small pond or something even close to a puddle.

I sighed and stopped, finally accepting defeat. I leaned my bow and quill against a nearby tree and unloaded a blanket to wrap around myself and lied back against the tree. I had been too tired to go on, but too worried to sleep. So I just sat there, wondering what my brother was doing right now.

I smiled dreamily as I imagined a 5 foot tall boy with short, blond hair and freckles scattered across his button nose under bright, blue eyes getting ready for bed.

Then I frowned, feeling guilty. I always question myself if leaving home was a good idea. I threw myself into the outside world because I wanted to protect people, save them, guard them. like my eldest brother Kane once did. sadly he was killed not long after his twenty-first season. I vowed that I would carry on with his mission to protect the innocent. Even if it kills me as well.

Slowly, my eyes began to grow heavy and I allowed myself to succumb to sleep when the large snapping of a piece of wood or something snapped me fully awake.

I quickly shoved the blanket back into my pack and threw it over my shoulder. Then I pulled on my quill and grabbed my bow. I still had ten arrows, so I hoped I wouldn't have to fight a large group or animal.

I pulled an arrow from the quill and readied my bow, keeping it pointed towards the ground and crept towards the new noises I heard getting closer.

Were they growls? Perhaps moans? Was someone or an animal wounded? Wait, no...they were sobs.

I raised my bow and walked closer and broke past some large bushes to see what looked like a man. He was wearing odd looking armor and was sitting by a lake with his face in his hands. Sobbing.

"Go ahead." He called, startling me." Do it Areman, kill me!"

I lowered my weapon and placed the arrow back into the quill and the arrow went over my shoulder. I slowly walked to the man.

"Excuse me." I said quietly.

He jumped and twisted around to see me.

"Don't come near me!" He commanded, standing up."I'm Joxer The Mighty! Are you an amazon!? I know Gabrielle, the queen of the Amazons!"

I walked a little closer.

"Don't mess with me! I-I know Xena the warrior princess!"

Slightly doubting that, I simply walked forward a few more steps. This time he started scooting side ways while I kept forward.

"Relax, I'm not an Amazon." I told him, squatting to get a hand full of water." I'm just thirsty."

He seemed relieved, but kept his distance.

"Oh, I get it." He smiled." Thats just what you want me to think! You were paid to find me and kill me weren't you?"

Arching a brow I shook my head and filled my canteen with some water, thanking the Gods to lead me here, proving how dumb I can be sometimes. I laughed to myself. This whole time I took that shortcut, I had been walking a couple yards away from a lake.

"Whats so funny?" He demanded.

"I hadn't realized how close to water when I stopped to rest." I grinned at him." Been hoping for it all day."

I stood and observed the man. He had on a strange looking helmet and chest armor.

"Why would anyone want you dead?" I asked skeptically.

"Well." He trailed off, looking away.

"Heh. Its not like you're wanted for some heinous crime." I laughed, shaking my hands dry.

"Well, yes and no." He answered wiping his eyes.

"Heh, its not like you killed someone like, like...kryton himself." I laughed a little harder and started to walk away to begin traveling again.

"Well." He repeated, slower.

I stopped, my eyes widened and I pulled out an arrow and aimed the bow at him.

"You?! You killed Kryton?! Are you insane?"

He looked at me with solemn eyes and opened his arms out. Locking eyes with me, he spoke.

"Please." He said, like he was in immense pain." I don't think I could live with this. The whole thing was an accident and that was the deal. Areman lets me live, but I live with guilt of killing his father. Im not. Warrior, I'm not mighty. Im just a coward! Xena knows it, Gabby knows it."

He let his arms fall to his side and let his head hang. His head snapped up when He felt my hand on his shoulder.

"I just wanted to be a hero, like my family." Joxer told her.

"Through my years, I'v learnt many things, Joxer, was it?"

He nodded.

"As I was saying, Iv learnt how to tell when someone might be lying to me, or if the person is brave enough to go into battle. Thats how I met my husband." I sighed. I didn't really have time to be playing adviser, but he just looked so sad." Come on, lets get this silly helmet off. I want to get a better look at Joxer, not Joxer The Mighty. You can call me Tieg."

I removed it with little protest from him, and sat down by the water.

"Better." I smiled and patted the ground beside me." Sit."

Just as I asked, he sat on the ground, with a curious look on his face.

"Ok." I started." Now what happened?"

Hesitating, he answered.

" It...just happened." He shrugged." I can't really explain it. He ran at me as I was turning and he ran right into the blade I was holding. Everyone congratulated me, until we found out he had a son. A son who thought his father was a hero." He took a deep breath." Kyrton the Courageous is what he knew his father as."

"So what are you doing out here? Other than disturbing sleeping travelers? " I teased.

"I couldn't stay in the camp, not with Areman there mentally killing me over and over, or Najara making it worse by telling him more things."

My eyes widened.

"Najara?" I asked.

"Yea, Xena and the group are returning her to jail."

"That...that! Holier-than-thou, murdering, bitch!"

"Thats not very nice." Joxer said, his brow furrowing.

"She's not very nice either." I hissed." She murdered a traveling companion of mine a few seasons ago. All in the name of those voices that swim in her insane head."

" Im sorry." He said sincerely." There seems to be a lot of meaningless killing going on lately."

I smiled and patted him on the back.

"It was an accident, Joxer. Let yourself heal. Im not saying forget about it. Because theres no way you can. Not the first one."

"I dont think I could face him, Areman."

I took a deep breath and wondered what in Tartarus was happening. Here was a man who killed for the first time and it broke him more than it would have if he had done it on purpose.

"I don't know why bad things happen to good people, but from an experienced point of view I believe it all happens for a reason."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Thats what Gabby says."

"Then Gabby is smart." I smiled." She understands that everyone has their own destiny. My destiny is to protect my family, so I travel and protect others to raise money, but I'm on my way home now. Its obvious your destiny is to protect your friends."

Maybe I should have been a writer. I told myself, hoping he would actually gain something meaningful from the load of manure I felt I was saying.

" So you're like Xena." He commented." You protect people."

"Yes. However, I'm not as well known as the Warrior Princess. Neither is my husband."

I tapped my leg a couple of times.

"Ok, so are you ready to go back to your camp?" I asked

He nodded, wiping away some more tears.

"Yeah. Thanks."

"No problem, see ya around Joxer." I started walking.

"Wait." I heard, I turned back to him." Why not come back to my camp for the night? We have food and water and a warm place to sleep."

"As tempting as that sounds, Im going to have to refuse."

"Why?"

"Because I'd be too busy killing Najara." I called back." But I don't want to cost Xena a pay day."

Joxer POV

Joxer watched as she walked away. He nodded silently and turned to head back to camp when he walked right into something.

"Joxer. What are you doing out here?" He heard a familiar voice.

"Oh, Xena, just getting some water."

"Who was that woman?"

"Oh! Her name is Tieg she's traveling back home. Just stopped for a chat."

He followed Xena through the forest, ignoring her skeptical look.

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** I hope Joxer wasnt too OOC. I hope you all like it and want to read the next chapter:)**

TheSpazChik


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